TONY AWARDS 2013

 

Last year, on the advice of Lily Tomlin, I live-tweeted my thoughts on the Tonys telecast. While that was an interesting experiment, it took away from my own enjoyment a bit, even though my friend Betsy, with whom I was watching at my Brooklyn house, didn’t mind it. She texts a lot anyway, so using technology during a show was basically no biggie to us. Except for me.

So, safely back in LA for this year’s edition, here are some of my thoughts on the show, in the order they happened:

I’m grateful that I was just in Radio City Music Hall a few weeks ago, so that I can better picture the live experience.

Great opening number! You go, Neil Patrick Harris!

First announced winner of the evening, Courtney Vance, was a cool customer.

Hey, NPH–Anne Frank is never to be joked about! Never!!!

I love the dress trick from Cinderella, which included her hair! No wonder that costume designer won!!!

So far, the show is mainly excellent entertainment.

Martha Plimpton.

Martha Plimpton‘s red dress is the best one so far! [Note: by the end of the night, she’d won the title!]

That kid playing Michael Jackson in Motown, The Musical is the best they could find? I don’t think so.

I’m happy for Cindy Lauper, for her composing win for Kinky Boots.

But why did they play Madonna music for her, rather than her own???

Jane Lynch sang great.

The “cancelled television show” bit was hysterical. What a really clever, creative, and self-deprecating approach for this talented quartet!

I loved seeing the Young Rascals, although none of them are young anymore, and I have a feeling they don’t have much rascal left in their beings, either. Mr. X rightly observed that Felix Cavaliere looked a bit like Ben Kingsley now! The group, though still so talented, made me realize something not good about myself–I get a bit uncomfortable seeing people who’ve aged so much.

Seeing Neil Patrick Harris tongue-kiss a dog, in hi-def, on a giant screen, was downright disgusting! The Tonys pride themselves on being a classy show, but this is one of the worst sights I’ve ever seen on TV! Seriously. [Note: I don’t believe for one second that he referred to Mike Tyson with the n-word in the opening number, (as some sites are alleging now,) but he does owe us a huge apology for performing an act that basically amounts to bestiality! I’m not kidding. It’s not funny.]

The number from Phantom of the Opera was pretty much a waste of our time. And were they lip-syncing? If so, why?

NPH–Enough with the Mike Tyson jokes already!!! His appearance at the Tonys to begin with was never even explained, and I would bet money on that most of the viewers were left wondering about it! Let me clear it up for you: It’s because he did a limited-run one-man show this past year. (If, as Mr. X did before he saw it with me, you’re wondering just what he did in it, and you missed my review, you can read it here: www.itsnotaboutme.tv/news/2013/03/10/theatre-mike-tyson-undisputed-truth.)

Billy Porter, winner for Kinky Boots, gave a great speech. [Note: at the end of the night, it was the best one!]

Winner Cicely Tyson had a great save at the end of her speech. She had dramatically thanked everyone for welcoming her “home,” with arms outstretched. She obviously expected applause here, and that would have ended her acceptance speech. But none came. So, blown away a bit by that lack, she uncomfortably read the “please wrap it up” sign off the teleprompter. Mr. X and I were so uncomfortable witnessing this. But then, she miraculously pulled it out, by saying, “Well, that’s exactly what you did with me; you wrapped me up in your arms after thirty years.” Impressive save.

Patina Miller.

Pippin Best Actress, Patina Miller is so in shape! I’m jealous of her arms. I don’t quite get the coupling with her fiancee, though, but I love her dress, which is second to only Martha Plimpton’s.

Kinky Boots didn’t look that good. (The white lead guy, Stark Sands, was on NYC 22, an unsuccessful TV cop drama last year, and had no personality. So, I was shocked to see him do this! He was so where he’s supposed to be now.)

I’m so glad to see Bernadette Peters looking good again, after the shocking death of her young husband some years ago. She’s looked drained ever since, until tonight.

Overall, this was a good Tonys show, and it ran less than ten minutes over! Take that, other awards shows!

While the whole shebang was basically fabulous, there were two things I hated about it. The first was the idiocy of having characters from old shows introduce bits from the new ones. It fell totally flat, in my opinion. No one seemed to know what was going on. It was very confusing, I’m sure especially for casual viewers. For example, they had a woman from the musical Chicago do it twice, introducing her as “Velma Kelly.” Broadway-goers might realize that’s the character’s name, not the actress’, but I could just hear someone from the middle of the country saying to her husband, “This Velma is very good. I wonder why I never heard of her before?” I would guess that’s the reaction of ninety percent of the viewers!!! Is there no other way to get new interest in theatre than to do stupid bits?

The other think I loathe is something that the general public doesn’t know about, but I’m privy to some insider info, from a few different sources, as a matter of fact. The musicians are not only not in the pit during the show, they’re in an entirely different building!!! In a televised event that relies heavily on the music, how can they treat the purveyors of said tunes so shabbily??? Let the guys and gals feel like they’re a part of it! C’mon, Tonys producers! Give them a break next year!

The best thing to happen for me during the telecast is that I’ve finally understood the appeal of Jake Gyllenhaal, other than that he’s always been an outstanding actor! But he’s never done anything else for me before. That all changed when he leaned down to help Cicely Tyson up the stairs, in a gentle and not condescending way, and helped her all the way to the microphone. (He was whispering something to her, and I have a feeling he told her he’d hold the heavy statuette for her until she was done speaking.) I melted. And now I get it. So, thanks, Tonys, for doing something not even the Oscars have done! Make me get a slight crush on Jake!